Reincarnated into the world of One Piece, in a land of giants with open eyes?!

20: The Future Course

After Lockes left, the shopkeeper, who had been huddled behind the counter, shakily raised his head, his face a mixture of fear and relief. He looked at Oro and Lingling, his lips trembling, but he dared not utter a single word.

Oro casually tossed another small piece of gold, which landed precisely on the counter.

"This is compensation for the store."

The shop owner looked at the gold, enough to rebuild his shop, and nodded vigorously, wishing he could bury himself in the floor.

"Let's go, Lingling."

Oro patted the girl next to him on the shoulder.

Lingling responded with a soft "hmm" and carefully put a piece of candied berry tart into her mouth.

Then, with one hand holding the axe and the other tightly clutching her cloth bag full of "trophies," she followed Oro out with satisfaction.

As soon as the two stepped out of the shop, the prying gazes from the port docks became even more complex.

Fear, curiosity, scrutiny... a mix of emotions, but no one dared to easily reveal hostility in their gaze.

Rocks D. Giebeck's personal appearance and peaceful departure made the bloodthirsty pirates on Beehive Island realize that this golden ship and its owner were not to be trifled with.

Back on the Golden Dawn, Gails was standing on the ship's railing, her pale golden braids swaying gently in the sea breeze, her face filled with worry.

Seeing the two return safely, even bringing back a large bag of snacks, her furrowed brows finally relaxed.

"Are you alright? What happened at the port just now..."

"I met the guy who's about to become the master of this place, and we made a deal."

Oro succinctly recounted his agreement with Rocks regarding the Magnet-Magnet Fruit.

"Dressrosa...a kingdom ruled by the Riku clan, known for its passionate dances and sweet industries, but to be able to establish itself in the New World, it must be quite extraordinary."

Gails seemed thoughtful; her knowledge of the outside world mostly came from Oro's stories and Elbaf's collection of books.

"Furthermore, getting too involved with Lox..."

"It's just a deal. He may have other motives, but we don't need to pay attention to them."

Oro reiterated, his gaze sweeping over the eyes hidden in the shadows of the harbor.

Just then, a speedboat flying a makeshift skull and cross flag approached.

Several nimble pirates carried several large, tightly sealed wooden crates and boarded the Golden Dawn after receiving permission.

The leading pirate was very respectful to Oro: "Captain Oro, on the orders of Captain Rocks, I have brought samples of all the poison-resistant ferns currently existing on the island. They have all undergone preliminary preservation treatment and are accompanied by known information."

He handed over a thick parchment list.

"Captain Rocks wishes you a safe journey to Dressrosa."

Oro didn't say anything immediately, but turned to signal Gails to take over.

Gails opened the wooden box, inside which were various exotic plants, categorized and well-preserved. Some were brightly colored, some were strangely shaped, and most of them emitted a complex aroma that was either spicy or bitter.

These ferns greatly aided her in improving her medical skills and developing edible fruits.

Gails nodded to Oro.

"Please thank Captain Rocks for me."

Oro then politely expressed his gratitude.

After confirming that everything was correct, the other party left quickly with their men, without any hesitation.

"They act with swift and decisive efficiency."

Oro looked toward the port of Beehive Island, lost in thought.

"So when are we going to Dressrosa to get some fruit?"

After finishing the last chocolate chip cookie, Lingling licked her fingers and asked, her interest in the adventure destination itself far outweighing her interest in the cakes and pastries she might encounter during the adventure.

"If I push the Golden Dawn to its limits, a month should be plenty of time, but just in case, let's leave now."

Oro decisively ordered: "Raise the sails, set sail! Destination—the waters outside Dressrosa!"

At his command, the massive Golden Dawn awoke once more, and the golden mechanisms hidden throughout the ship quietly began to operate.

The thick, golden cable, like living tentacles, deftly retracted the anchor.

The enormous sails rose slowly under the pull of golden pulleys, and the rudder, adjusted by fine golden threads, steadily aligned itself with the new course.

This colossal ship, a fusion of giant craftsmanship and the power of the Gold-Gold Fruit, displayed extraordinary maneuverability under Oro's control.

The golden bow slowly turned, cleaving through the slightly murky waters surrounding Beehive Island, and sailed towards the vast, boundless blue.

They gradually left that pirate lair, filled with ambition, violence, and opportunity, behind.

Sailing on the vast ocean, the concept of time becomes blurred.

Only the occasional appearance of a giant sea monster leaping out of the sea, or the distant sight of an unfamiliar ship, can bring about some change.

Oro spent most of his time on deck, occasionally referring to the nautical charts and the navigation notes given to him by Elder Yorulu, carefully adjusting the course and avoiding known dangerous waters.

Sometimes he would study those permanent pointers, trying to understand the magnetic mysteries they contained by using his own perception of the element gold and even more metals.

Gals plunged headlong into her new "treasure trove".

She moved the samples of the poison-resistant ferns into a specially designed cabin workshop, and carefully extracted the juice and ground the powder using her ability to eat the fruit, testing their toxicity, medicinal properties, and interactions.

The air is often filled with a faint herbal scent, and occasionally you can hear the small popping sound of a failed experiment or the smell of burning.

Gail hopes to develop a more effective universal antidote, a fast-acting healing agent, and even explore the possibility of incorporating these properties into food.

Lingling was the most active person on the ship.

Aside from her unwavering daily training and treating the surging waves and unfortunate sea monsters as imaginary enemies, her greatest pleasure was revolving around Auro and Gails.

"Auro~ How much longer until we get there? So boring~"

"Gails~ What's for afternoon tea? I just stunned a huge group of fish with the aftershocks of the Overlord's attack! Look!"

"Hey, Oro, are the enemies in Dressrosa strong? Are they as strong as Grandpa Aluru?"

Faced with Lingling's boundless energy and curiosity, Oro usually tests her patience and thinking with more complex nautical strategy board games.

Alternatively, you could directly engage her in high-intensity Armament Haki combat training to effectively deplete her excess stamina.

Gails, however, always managed to defuse her restlessness with delicious new snacks and a gentle smile.

Another day has passed, and the setting sun has painted the clouds and the sea with a magnificent golden-red hue.

Lingling has just finished a clash of Haki with Oro. Although she was still completely suppressed, her speed of Haki gathering and defensive resilience have improved significantly compared to when she was in Elbaf.

She sat on the deck, drenched in sweat, watching Oro wiping a small iron sword with a soft cloth, and suddenly asked:

"Aurora, after we help Rocks get the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, are we going to go find Skypiea?"

Oro paused slightly, looked at Lingling, and then at Gails who came out of the studio.

He shook his head: "Sky Island is our backup plan, an ideal escape route and base."

"But before that, we need to accumulate more experience, resources and intelligence in the first half of the Grand Line, in that sea known as 'Paradise'."

"The naval power there is stronger, and the environment is relatively 'mild,' which is suitable for our further growth. Also..."

His gaze became slightly somber.

"We also need to be more vigilant. Although the CP organization cannot command the Navy, the World Government can. They'd better not pay attention to Carmel and her channels."

"But we cannot rely on the enemy's negligence. The reason we left Elbaf so publicly was that we didn't want to cause any more trouble for everyone."

Ultimately, all the problems stem from our lack of strength. If only we…

"Become stronger!"

Lingling eagerly said that the two core elements of "becoming stronger" and "new snacks" filled her with motivation.

"Anyway, with Auro and Gails around! Anyone who dares to steal the fruit, I'll use my Overlord skill to send them and the auction house flying!"

Gails was amused by Lingling's words and took her strong arm: "Alright, it's time for the future sea warriors to replenish their energy."

"How about we try grilling some of the newly discovered mushrooms and seafood tonight? Like those fish you stunned this afternoon."

"Yay!"